I got up at 6 a.m. this morning, went downstairs, and got on my dusty old sweatpants. I wouldn’t say I like bicycle helmets, but it is true we only have one brain, and I need mine.
I went online to write about my ride today. Also to check the weather, and fend off all the huffing and clucking school teachers, grammar scolds, and ex-proofreaders who think lecturing me about authenticity and clarity will persuade or impress me.
Many of them are new readers, they will figure it out or go away.
God, forgive me. I love telling them to go away; perhaps this is another issue for my therapist appointment later this week.
I want to get to ignore them, not reply to them. It feels like a bunch of hornets are buzzing around my head. That is my problem, not typos.
It’s on the list; I’ll fix it.
Today went well, day two of my latest adventure.
As the sun came up over the hills this morning, I left Maria sleeping in bed, got my helmet on, went outside, spent a few painful minutes trying to get onto the bike, and then a few more to get rolling. I walked it out onto the highway and tried it there.
It was a much better ride than yesterday. My big problem is that I am tentative and anxious, and that is the wrong way to ride a bike. After a few minutes, I hit a long and open stretch and got the settings right.
It felt wonderful to be sailing down this road on a cool (for once) August morning. The people who said I would feel some joy soon enough were right.
I rode for more than two miles and then turned around and headed home. My back and legs are sore, my mouth was dry, but there was no angina pain at all, which was amazing to me.
It felt excellent to ride this bike.
I am older than the last time I rode the bike, and parts of my body protested. I was stern and encouraging to myself, I told me to hang in there, this is good for all of us.
I am surprised by all of the anxiety surrounding taking care of my body, buying this bike, and riding. I am glad I have scheduled a session or two with my therapist about it.
I want to face this.
When I got home, I took my blood sugar, and it was 100, which is excellent. For the soreness, my body felt better. It felt grateful, and I felt good about myself.
I remember that exercise is essential to health and well-being, my heart surgery threw me off, and it’s time to get back on track. For me, this is much better than walking, much as I love walking.
I need to get to know my body and make friends. I need to take care of myself, the blog is great, but it isn’t enough.
This was easy on my knees and good for my heart. With e-biking, I still have to be pedaling all the time. But there is help when I need it.
I have to get past the fear. On a bike, it’s dangerous, and I’m not sure where it is coming from. I will find it.
I should take a day or two off, but I am starting to love this bike, which I named Betty. I’ll try for another ride tonight. I am determined to make this work, and the bike is an amazing piece of new technology that seems to have been built for me.
Maria appeared out of the mist to help me get it back into the house.
Then I dispensed with the last of the grammar scolds and went back to bed.
(applause)
Oh, wow! I’m really impressed. I think you and Betty are going to be the best of friends. You’ve inspired me to at least think about getting one of these e-bikes for myself.
John…I like this new adventure of yours, and although I do not ride a bike outside, I go to the Y for cycling classes, going on 11 years…I have balance issues, so I can’t ride outside anymore. The exercise is great for your heart, and those blood tests you got a few days ago will be far different within a month, as exercise produces more good cholesterol, and that’s what you want…and yes, it’s low impact for knees, and yes, it feels great! Keep going…I look forward to my spin classes, I know I’ll feel better overall afterward…and I always enjoy the ride…Cheers to you!
That was a good one. I do not like the idea of having to wear a helmet. There is something about the wind blowing through your hair that is so invigorating. But hey, it is what it is! Keep on going Jon Katz. You’ve got it in you.
I have never understood why the rules of cycling and (and indeed the laws) require cyclists to ride WITH the traffic (right side of road), while requiring pedestrians to walk AGAINST the traffic (left).
I do not ride anymore, but I always felt safer facing the traffic.
Because cars pulling out into traffic are looking to the flow of traffic. I know someone killed riding against traffic when a car pulled
Out into him.
Way to go Jon! You keep inspiring me in so many ways, through your political writing you are making me think before I react, for years you’ve reminded me to kept at my photography, now you’ve got me checking out some e-bikes. You are a mensch. Thanks for all of it.
Jon, aside from this exciting new adventure of yours, I, for one, simply refix (is that a word?) in my mind any spelling mistakes you make. If all that your wrote was edited to perfection, it could loose some of the human qualities of your work and the passion as well. As you say, if people can’t abide by your occasional misspellings, either they’ll get used to them or move on. Besides, objections can be stimulating or aggravating depending on their tone. It lends to the excitement of controversy in writing a blog. Controversy with writing is similar to visual complexity on a quilt, Maria will understand that.
Sandy Proudfoot
I love your typos. They often bring an added dimension to what you are saying. Keep them coming.
I am a former proofreader btw.
Jon, the people lecturing you part of this piece felt like hornets around my head too. Frequently we are of very like mind, but that is not why I look forward to your blog posts. I love them because they ARE authentic, but more then that, they very frequently cause me to look at the world from a different and sometimes better, and more experienced perspective. They cause me to think, really think, about where I stand. Thank you. Hornets be damned!
Love reading your words. Thank you for the inspiration.
That is great!!!! You conquered your fear and did it anyway!!! Your hurting body will reward you when you can breathe and feel better! Keep going good for you!!!!!
Hooray! You give me hope. I used to love riding my bike but then, rather suddenly, became fearful and tentative. I am enjoying your new adventure, and feeling encouraged to think about my future exercise capacity.
This is awesome and I envy you. Keep it up. I remember my solitary free as the wind bike riding days of my childhood and they are good memories of a pretty rough childhood. I had no idea electric bikes existed until Simon’s accident.
Good work on the bike Jon. I always found with my biking that the exercise brought up the endomorphins and was invigorating. I also found that I didn’t realize the surroundings that I missed while driving.
This is so exciting! And encouraging! I no longer have the stamina / strength to ride my bike more than short distances in my hilly. hot Southern city, get nervous on busy streets ’cause I go so slow. Result: no bike riding, something I enjoyed all my life until recently. I’m going E-bike shopping next week!
?I have bad knees and we share other health modalities I too was being told to exercise I finally started swimming about eighteen months ago good results then the virus came and no place to swim since March > I can feel the difference/ I didn’t know about this kind of bike think I’ll check it out really you knees don’t hurt too much with this bike my birthday in sept Not saying who is older well I guess that have it away
My favorite exercise quote… however you move the body. If it’s physical it’s therapy. I saw that on the back of a t shirt years ago. I ALWAYS feel better when I move the body. Always.
Also for anybody not into town/ street riding I take mine to the campgrounds and ride around there a lot. It’s fun. If you like a right before dark ride, you can enjoy the chatter of campers and fires started at their sites. I love riding the campgrounds. Up here they are in the woods and free to park and ride your bike around. Smells good too, the aroma of fires and wood cracklings. Just as idea for anybody looking for a better ride than town.
Ebiking is so much fun! Do not, DO NOT, let Maria try your bike. Because then you will own two…..the E Bike smile is contagious.
Maria has no interest in riding my bike if she wanted one she would get her own, which isn’t going to happen. We are very close, but we are not one thing
Riding my bike especially with my group of ‘girlies’ is one of the great pleasures in life. Three things: please, please do not be tempted to ride without a helmet! Someone that I ride with almost every time I go out, an experienced rider doing everything ‘right’, flipped over her handlebars, woke up in an ambulance, ended up with 13 stitches in her head despite having a helmet on, and still really can’t remember what happened. Protect yourself with a brain bucket at all costs! Want to feel the wind in your hair? Stand in front of a fan!
2. Go to roadid.com RIGHT NOW and order your road id. Put it on your wrist (rubber bracelet style) or on your shoes but – particularly since you have other medical issues – please do not get on your bike, alone, early in the morning on a highway without it. If anything happened you would end up in a hospital as a John Doe until someone figured out who you were. There are guidelines on their great(!) website about what to put on your badge – room for contact numbers, medical conditions, medicine needed. Do it for you, Maria, the dogs, the donks…everyone that reads your blog. Buy one, a lot less than the cost of your bike, and I hope you never need to use it. It sounds like this is something that you should put on your wrist and never take off. You could be in a grocery store and need it. I wear mine all the time. Roadid.com. I am not connected with the website/company in any way except that I harass, harangue, and hover over people that need one until they break down and get one to just shut me up. Read a couple of their testimonials and you will see it’s worth every penny. About $24.
3. When you ride, wear something in the hi-visibility color family. Yes, bright yellow, orange, green. You know how you can see the folks working along the highways because of their shirt colors — you want to be seen. Upstate NY is so beautiful, but with shadows that trees create, you can easily blend in wearing gray or black. Hi-vis socks are especially helpful, the movement of your legs with bright orange socks will catch the attention of those folks that are half awake, reaching for their cup of joe in their trucks/cars early in the morning.
I start my morning with a cup of tea and your posts. I’d like you to continue to write them…I read the stories about Zinna and the animals to my 2 dogs. We need you to come home each time you go out on your bike. I think all your readers will agree. Now get on that bike and enjoy!
Jon, don’t worry about those grumbling about typos. Your inspirational writing is beyond and above all that and let your writing do the talking. We love your authentic, off-the-cuff material, they are brilliant
As you correctly say they should write their own blogs.
thanks Chinta, I appreciate..I love being free to what I want and not spend all day correcting my spelling…it is refreshing and fun..j
As a former ER nurse, I ditto everything that Joan B (above) encourages you to do for
accident prevention and safety. Over the years, I cared for many victims of bike accidents,
and often due to carelessness of drivers, not the bikers. Never ride without a helmet and
the RideID is vital. But also wish you could fine country roads to use until you are really
comfortable. Major roads with 60mph limits up your chances greatly for problems.
We want you to stay safe so you can continue to write with typos and all. I personally love them.
Makes you one of us.
Jon, you’re an inspiration. I have become timid and sedentary, after most of my life being bold and athletic. I’m going to get on with it (walking) and set the timidity aside. It will be scary at first, but soon exhilarating, and the reclaiming of a sense of personal power..I want that badly.